Friday, December 7, 2018

Irish Whiskey Cake

The Irish love sweets, which explains why the supermarket’s bakery department is near the front of the store and loaded with yummy cakes and tarts and breads. 





So once again I went hunting for a holiday recipe, and discovered Whiskey Cake. This one comes from an Irish cookbook that I’ve had for years (and quite a few of the recipes include whiskey!).

I’ve been collecting bakeware for a long time—it gives me a reason to prowl antiques fairs and auctions, and the vintage or even antique items are usually very affordable. Baking this new cake gives me an excuse to try out yet another baking tin, which turned out to be a perfect size.




Irish Whiskey Cake

Ingredients (for one 8” cake):



1-1/2 cup raisins
Grated rind and juice of one lemon
2/3 cup Irish whiskey
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (make sure it’s soft)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt
3 eggs, separated

For icing:
1-1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
the lemon juice from above
a bit of warm water

Instructions:

Soak the raisins and lemon rind in the whiskey for several hours, or overnight.

Cream together the butter ad brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cloves and salt.




Gradually beat the egg yolks (one at a time) into the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients. Stir in the raisins and whiskey.





Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mixture.



reheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8” cake tin. Spoon the batter into it. 



Bake for about 1-1/2 hours until the cake is well risen and springy to the touch (don't overbake or the cake will dry out). Place the tin on a wire rack and let cool. (If you’ve greased the pan well, the cake will come out easily when cool.)



Icing: Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the middle. Add half the lemon juice and combine. Add more lemon juice and a bit of water (if needed) until the mixture is thick and smooth.



Place the cake on a plate, then spoon the icing over it, letting it dribble down the sides.





I have to say the cake smells wonderful! The sweet/tart glaze makes a nice contrast to the cake itself, or you could skip that step if you want.


Since I seem to be in an Irish mood, I've just released Tied Up with a Bow, a holiday novella set in Leap.

And next month The Lost Traveller will be out!



www.sheilaconnolly.com




4 comments:

  1. This would be a lovely cake for Christmas. Thank you for the recipe.

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  2. I agree with Deb. This is a perfect cake to take to our family's Christmas gathering. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

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  3. I think my husband would adore this cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  4. Mmm, Irish whiskey sour cake! All rightee!

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